*German, WW2, Hitler Youth "Gausieger 1939" Regional Winner Badge, by G. Brehmer – Enamelled Award*
A very scarce and highly-sought original Hitler Youth (Hitlerjugend) “Gausieger” award badge issued for the year 1939. Constructed in die-struck tombak with silvered finish, featuring a central HJ diamond enamel emblem laid over a cogwheel, superimposed on a spread-winged eagle clutching a wreath-surrounded roundel. The cream-coloured field is titled GAUSIEGER with the year 1939 split to either side. Pin-back fastener to the reverse.
This award was not a membership badge — it was issued as a prize for top performers (“Regional Champions”) in national Hitler Youth trade skill competitions, with extremely limited distribution. Only a handful of youths per Gau received the badge each year.
Reverse is clearly maker-marked: “G. BREHMER – MARKNEUKIRCHEN”. A well-known manufacturer of high-grade Third Reich awards.
Diameter: approx. 40 mm
Historical Note: The Hitler Youth’s annual Leistungs- & Berufswettkampf (performance and vocational competition) recognised exceptional practical and ideological achievement among boys in technical or commercial apprenticeships and girls in vocational training. Awards were structured in three ascending levels:
• Kreissieger – District level (Bronze) • Gausieger – Regional level (Silver) • Reichssieger – National champion (Gold)
Only those who had already won at district level could compete in the Gau finals, where very few top-ranked youths received the Gausieger award and advanced to the national contest. Although 6,501 badges had been awarded by 1942, that total covers all three grades and multiple years. As the middle tier, Gausieger badges account for only a small share of production — particularly for a single year such as 1939.
Issued exclusively to a tiny elite of Hitler Youth members, regional Gausieger awards are now significantly scarce, especially maker-marked examples by G. Brehmer, Markneukirchen, the principal contractor for Kreis- and Gau-level pieces.
*Condition* Silvered surfaces show age-consistent patina and mild oxidation to recesses. Enamel to the HJ diamond remains largely intact with minor losses and edge wear to white celluloid fields (visible in photos). Reverse hardware is original: hinged pin and folded catch of correct period form. No repairs or post-war alterations observed. A solid example retaining strong detail and original finish. Please see photographs as part of the condition report.
